9 Most Anticipated Thrillers to Read in 2023

Anangsha Alammyan

Jan 11, 2023 • 8 min read

The coolest mystery books to check out in 2023 for fiction lovers.

If you’re a thriller lover, enjoying the genre gets tricky after a while.

You’re so familiar with the tropes and twists used that all the plots start feeling predictable after a while.

As a fiction lover, I know the pain of diving into a book that shows so much promise, only to be disappointed by the climax later.

In this post, I’ve curated a list of the nine most anticipated thrillers coming out this year. I’ve had a good experience with authors, and these books come highly recommended by my closest bibliophile friends.

If you love reading thrillers, read on. This article is bound to fill your already-overflowing TBR with even more new, fascinating books.

**1. They are Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso**

Published on January 3, 2023

When a secret society has you in its sights, it can lead to power, privilege, or death.

I’ve been a fan of Chelsea Ichaso since I read Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets. Let’s look at what this new book has in store for us.

Polly St. James has been missing for two weeks. Everyone except her best friend Maren has ruled her a runway. Maren believes her roommate had a secret to share before she went missing. It’s something linked to the gracious, super-rich crowd at Torrey-Wells.

Maren discovers a secret envelope from Polly’s belongings: an invitation to the Gamemaster’s Society. She’s convinced Polly’s society classmates would know the truth behind her disappearance.

In a shocking series of events, Maren discovers a world she never knew about within her school. The members participate in high-stake games for rewards, privileges, and favor.

Maren finds herself pulled into a game where she gets a clue about Polly after every win. She realizes how powerful the society game is.

What’s next? We need to read the book to find out.

I got my copy today and can’t wait to start reading.

**2. Missing Dead Girls by Sara Walters**

Expected Publication Date on February 28, 2023

Readers familiar with The Violent Season by Sara Walters will find it difficult not to be excited by her upcoming thriller release.

After some challenging incidents in her junior year, Tillie’s mother suggests Willow Creek is the ideal place for a fresh start.

Madison Fank, the beautiful lady from the wealthy part of town, is a great distraction. She draws attention and inspires obsession among the locals. By the end of the year, Tillie has forgotten almost everything that traumatized her before.

Then, Madison goes missing while a picture of her bloody body is circulated from an account with Tillie’s name. She’s now tangled in a string of secrets that will uncover many surprises down the road.

What are those odds stacked against Tillie? How will she handle the new waves of trauma? I can’t wait for the book to be released so I can find out for myself.

**3. Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones**

Expected Publication Date: March 7, 2023

If you are a great fan of Sadie and a A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Missing Clarissa is something you will enjoy.

It’s about two best friends who start with a crime podcast and soon realize they might have assisted a killer in this process.

In August 1999, popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell went missing from a rural Orville party and never appeared again. The case gets the nation’s attention, and the police question her acquaintances. But no leads come up despite the relentless internet chase, and the case soon grows cold.

After twenty years, two Orville High school students, Blair and Cameron, start a true crime podcast, trying to unfold Clarissa’s truth. In the process, they unveil a string of nasty secrets and a few suspects who could be behind it.

Will the wrong person be put behind bars while the main culprit roams free? To know more, grab a copy of this book as soon as it’s released.

4. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Expected Publication Date January 31, 2023

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the sensational, intriguing, and hilarious next installment in the Finlay Donovan series from the USA Today bestselling author Elle Cosimano.

Finlay Donovan, a single mom, and the narrator, is a master in removing bloodstains for different unexpected causes. When Finlay’s ex-husband was alive, the Russian mob did her a favor by buying a car. With her partner Vero, Finlay accidentally destroys the car, and the duo owe the mafia big time.

Mafia boss Feliks runs the show behind bars and assigns a task to Finlay. She has to trace down a contract killer before the cops find him. The main problem? The cop could be the killer too.

Finlay and Vero use their time in the police academy to find the real contract killer while juggling mafia attacks, dodging spies, battling Vero’s past, and confronting the regular battles of parenthood.

I’m sure the book will keep me glued to the pages all along.

**5. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai**

Expected Publication Date January 31, 2023

Noted as the Most Anticipated Thriller of 2023 by TIME and CrimeReads, the new novel by the author of The Great Believers promises to be a hooking read.

A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is pleased to move on from her past: a family tragedy, her miserable years at New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate Thalia Keith in the spring of their senior year.

Amidst the hot debates surrounding her death, Kane prefers to let sleeping dogs lie.

But after Granby School’s invitation asking her to teach a course, Bodie is drawn to the case. As a string of mysteries unfolds, new questions come up.

Did the school overlook other suspects in a rush to convict Thalia’s murder suspect? Does it mean the real killer is still roaming free?

Makkai is known for artfully crafting compelling plots with intriguing elements and engaging investigation scenes. I can’t wait to start reading the novel.

**6. It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison**

Expected Publication Date February 28, 2023

Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know the best of all.

J.T. Ellison’s twiste, emotionally tangled thriller explores the lies we might tell to keep a marriage together.

Olivia Bender is an interior designer with many satisfied clients. She’s desperate to be a mother, but the fertility treatments are proving to be in vain. When she feels she’s at her lowest, the police give some unexpected news to her and her husband, Park. DNA results reveal that a prime suspect in a murder case is Park’s son.

But without Olivia’s knowledge, Park had donated his sperm to a clinic. He’s unaware of how many times it was sold. As the murder investigation progresses, more truths emerge, and Olivia faces the unthinkable. Will she bear the burden of carrying the dark secrets of her beloved husband?

**7. How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano**

Expected Publication Date March 21, 2023

An intriguing thriller surrounding identical triplets with a bad habit of killing their boyfriends. The youngest commits the worst crime: falling for her mark.

Sissy, an always careful and curious girl, belongs to an interesting family. She has handled all the cleanup while her serial killer sisters crafted a path of carnage across the U.S.

Now, they’re in Arizona, and it’s Sissy’s time to embrace the family pastime of making a man fall for her and then kill him.

Alarmingly so, Sissy falls for Edison, a widower. A mutual attraction is evident between the two. She gets protective of her lover while her sisters go restless.

Which side will Sissy choose? Will he betray her family or her lover?

**8. Something Bad Wrong by Eryk Pruitt**

Expected Publication Date May 1, 2023

Narrated in a dual timeline that explores a double investigation, the novel surrounds human folly and hubris and how sometimes it’s essential to find who’s covering up a crime to be able to solve it.

True crime podcaster, Jess Keeler, is back in Deeton County to pick up where his grandfather signed off. The latter was a respected detective until his whole reputation was destroyed during a 1972 murder investigation.

Working from her grandfather’s disconnected notes and seeking help from the disgraced reporter Dan Decker, Jess comes across terrible truths about the case.

How much of the old investigation data remains untampered, and will Jess be able to solve the mystery before all is lost? Only the book’s climax will reveal the final truth, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

**9. The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard**

Expected Publication Date July 25, 2023

There’s something wicked in Burning Lake. Someone is playing deadly games.

Lieutenant Luke Pittman is in a coma after someone he trusted attacks him. Veronica Manes, the witch, is dead with her murder mystery unsolved. Natalie Lockhart is stuck in a case that seems impossible to unfold.

With new horrors unveiling every day, Natalie gets herself into challenges connecting her past, Veronica’s case, her sister’s unsolved murder, and the disappearance of her old best friend.

Her quest for truth leads to a struggle between good and evil and the ultimate question: What horror is destined for her?

The exciting premise makes me eager to read the book as soon as it hits the market.

For more book reviews and recommendations, follow me on Goodreads.

The coolest mystery books to check out in 2023 for fiction lovers.

1. They are Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso

2. Missing Dead Girls by Sara Walters

3. Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

4. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

5. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

6. It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison

7. How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano

8. Something Bad Wrong by Eryk Pruitt

9. The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard

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